1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to devices and methods for the trenchless replacement of underground pipes and more particularly to pipe splitting devices and cable pulling devices and methods for splitting and expanding existing pipe to facilitate the replacement thereof with new pipe.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Trenchless technology for the replacement of underground pipe is not new, and the standard equipment and methods generally used are well known. This standard equipment for this technology is very large, heavy, and therefore requires additional large, heavy duty equipment for the transportation to, and the placement thereof on site, and the operation thereof on site.
There are several methods of propelling a pipe bursting, and/or cracking and expanding device, and pulling a new pipe through an existing pipe. The most commonly used methods are large cable winches, and/or rod pushers or pullers that are usually hydraulically powered, and often used with a pneumatic percussive device helping to drive the pipe breaking device. Winches give continuous motion during pulling, while rod pushers/pullers generally give cycled motion in which they pull, then a rod must be either added or removed, before the return stroke, and next pull stroke. Sometimes rod pushers are converted to cable pullers, eliminating the need for rod removal.
Winches and rod pushers/pullers that can produce pulling forces of up to 75 tons can themselves weigh 2 to 5 tons and must be handled and placed in position to pull; they are powered by correspondingly heavy duty equipment, cranes, trucks, and back-hoes, etc. They also need large excavations, such that the support equipment can take up enough room so as to create traffic problems and even require street closures.
This also means that only large companies with large financial resources can afford the equipment necessary to replace underground pipes, and because the costs and maintenance on this equipment can be high, their prices are also high. Therefore the use of this prior art trenchless technology has been limited mainly to the 6 inch or above size pipe of municipal or corporate supply and sewer lines, and is used mainly by large contractors.
The basic components of the invention include a pipe parting mole, a length of cable that is engagable to the mole, a cable pulling device and a cable pulling device engagement means that provides a mounting structure for the cable pulling device. The cable pulling device engagement means generally includes a reaction plate and a structure for removably engaging the cable pulling device therewithin. A cable pulling frame may be advantageously used to facilitate the removal of the cable from a relatively small hole that is created at the pulling end of the pipe.
The equipment of this invention, is of modular design and needs no bolting, or tools to assemble. It will fit into an excavation hole that is 2 feet wide and 3.5 feet long, for the small pullers (24 tons) and 2xe2x80x2xc3x974.5 feet long for the largest puller (75+ tons) the entrance hole for the replacement pipe need be only as long as the radius bend, that the polyethylene pipe size used, requires.
The components of the present invention can be easily built in several sizes according to the strength of the cable to be pulled, and componentized, so that no component weighs more than 75 lbs. One may can now move all the equipment necessary to pull up to 150,000 pounds (75 tons), in one average sized pick-up truck and hand carry it to remote areas normally inaccessible to the larger prior art equipment. The present invention has particular applications in the vast 4xe2x80x3 diameter home lateral pipe field, which has, up to now been relatively untouched by the trenchless method of pipe replacement.
These and other features and advantages of the present invention will be well understood by those of ordinary skill in the art upon reading the following detailed description of the preferred embodiment.